Hundreds of local high school students, their teachers and family members packed the Sondra and David S. Mack Student Center Theater at Hofstra University for the 10th annual Long Island Press High School Journalism Awards gala Tuesday.

The contest recognizes outstanding journalistic work from students across Nassau and Suffolk counties in print, online, and video, and encompasses reporting and writing, design, illustration, art, and photography.

“Skill, dedication and enthusiasm…flowed from each of the more than 2,000 entries submitted by over two dozen high schools,” Timothy Bolger, editor in chief of the Press, wrote in a letter to the students. “The quality of submissions gave us hope that the public will be well served by the next generation of journalists.”

Entrants vied for honors across more than 100 categories, ranging from coverage of news and sports, to production work such as layout and illustration, among many others. Special awards are also presented for Story of the Year, Student Journalist of the Year, Advisor of the Year and Newspaper of the Year.

Several honors possessed special significance for those in attendance: the Aura Diaz / First Person Award, named after the 16-year old mother from Brentwood, who along with her daughter Natalie, was murdered in 2015; the Andrea Rebello Community Service Award, its 21-year-old namesake a Hofstra student who lost her life in 2013; and the Robert W. Greene Investigative / Enterprise Journalism Award, which honors the memory of legendary, two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist Bob Greene, who taught at Hofstra University and was instrumental in the founding of its communication and journalism programs.

Award-winning journalist, broadcaster, Society of Professional Journalists Press Club of Long Island Board Member, and longtime Long Island Press High School Awards Program Coordinator David North once again did a memorable job as emcee.

The popular program and its joyous awards night is made possible by the extraordinary support of chief sponsor Hofstra University and its renowned Lawrence Herbert School of Communication. The event was also sponsored by Peoples United Bank, Northwell Go Health Urgent Care and Great Neck Nissan.

HERE’S THE COMPLETE LIST OF 2017 HOFSTRA UNIVERSITY / LONG ISLAND PRESS HIGH SCHOOL JOURNALISM AWARDS WINNERS:

NEWSPAPER OF THE YEAR

1. Bay Shore High School, Maroon Echo

2. Half Hollow Hills High School East, Thunderbird

3. North Shore High School, The Viking View

Honorable Mention. Half Hollow Hills High School West, The Roundup & East Islip High School, The Broadcaster